Monday Scripture: II Nephi 9:25-52
Today I cut and pasted the scripture from www.lds.org and I made notes between the scripture. Usually I read and handwrite my thoughts in my journal before putting it on my blog, but this morning Lee distracted me with a project he had to finish for school so I used my computer later in the day. I know it is late but I wanted to make certain that I posted my blog today.

25 Wherefore, he has given a law; and where there is no law given there is no punishment; and where there is no punishment there is no condemnation; and where there is no condemnation the mercies of the Holy One of Israel have claim upon them, because of the atonement; for they are delivered by the power of him.
26 For the atonement satisfieth the demands of his justice upon all those who have not the law given to them, that they are delivered from that awful monster, death and hell, and the devil, and the lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment; and they are restored to that God who gave them breath, which is the Holy One of Israel.
27 But wo unto him that has the law given, yea, that has all the commandments of God, like unto us, and that transgresseth them, and that wasteth the days of his probation, for awful is his state!

It is comforting to know that I am not held accountable for obedience to an eternal law that has not been given to me; especially since I have such difficulty keeping the laws which the Lord has already given me. At the same time I am held accountable for the laws that we have been given. I think the day may come when the Lord will show me every instance where He provided the path for my successful obedience, but I rejected His help. On that day I will not be able to rationalize our disobedience, it will be so obvious that I deserve the consequences of my choices.

28 O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.
29 But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God.

Learned: (1) having much knowledge; scholarly; erudite: learned professors; (2) connected or involved with the pursuit of knowledge, esp. of a scholarly nature: a learned journal; (3) of or showing learning or knowledge; well-informed: learned in the ways of the world; (4) acquired by experience, study, etc.: learned behavior. (www.dictionary.reference.com )

Wise: having the power of discerning and judging properly as to what is true or right; possessing discernment, judgment, or discretion. (www.dictionary.reference.com )

Wisdom: the quality or state of being wise; knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action; sagacity, discernment, or insight. (www.dictionary.reference.com )

We are commanded to seek knowledge and wisdom at the same time: (D & C 88:118 “And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.”
Can you see the trap set by the adversary—our pride in our education is the stumbling block. In other words, a strength may become a weakness if we give into our pride.

The warning verses of wo:
30 But wo unto the rich, who are rich as to the things of the world. For because they are rich they despise the poor, and they persecute the meek, and their hearts are upon their treasures; wherefore, their treasure is their god. And behold, their treasure shall perish with them also.

Wo (woe): (1) grievous distress, affliction, or trouble: His woe was almost beyond description; (2) an affliction: She suffered a fall, among her other woes(www.dictionary.reference.com )

Do you see how verse 30 is a description of the contention in our country today? So many people have lost their jobs; many have lost homes and are living on the street. And people who have resources to provide for the needs of these poor people are jealously guarding their wealth instead of having compassion on those who cannot feed or shelter their families. When I read the scriptures carefully it appears that there are few things that brings the anger of the Lord quicker than not sharing our wealth and taking care of the poor.

31 And wo unto the deaf that will not hear; for they shall perish.
32 Wo unto the blind that will not see; for they shall perish also.

Do you see the phrase “that will not”? This phrase denotes a conscious refusal to hear the voice of the Lord or see the hand of the Lord in their lives or the lives of others around them. No wonder the Lord is warning that He will not let such actions go unpunished. As mortal parents we are frustrated and angered by our children who willfully ignore us, can we expect less from the Lord?

33 Wo unto the uncircumcised of heart, for a knowledge of their iniquities shall smite them at the last day.

Another term for “uncircumcised” may be “not converted”. To be converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ suggests a humble willingness to do whatsoever the Lord commands. If our hearts are not converted then it is easier to break the covenants we have made with the Lord and not keep His commandments. This verse tells us that we will have a perfect knowledge of our stubbornness and that knowledge will smite [to strike or hit hard; to afflict or attack with deadly or disastrous effect (www.dictionary.reference.com )] The Lord is not using gentle language in these verses. It is essential that we know exactly what we are doing and the consequences of our choices.

34 Wo unto the liar, for he shall be thrust down to hell.

I don’t see any degree or level of lies here that the Lord will allow. There are no “white” lies, no “little” lies, nothing that says it is okay to lie to save the feelings of another person. There is nothing that says it is okay to give an impression that is false. No any statement or action that is not truth is a lie and the consequence is not being able to enter into the presence of the Lord, for no unclean thing can enter His presence. I think that this is a commandment that is greatly abused in our world and one that is too easy to disobey. I hope to refine my life so that this sin is abhorrent in my life.

35 Wo unto the murderer who deliberately killeth, for he shall die.
36 Wo unto them who commit whoredoms, for they shall be thrust down to hell.

Our entertainment culture glorifies the murderer and those that break the law of chastity in so many venues—visual and audio. If we allow ourselves and our children to become immersed in such entertainment then we become desensitized to the breaking of the commandments to not kill and to be chaste. I think we assume we are immune and that we would never break these commandments, but can we be so certain if we allow our sensitivity to the Spirit to deteriorate?

37 Yea, wo unto those that worship idols, for the devil of all devils delighteth in them.

When I think of idols my mind envisions “Indiana Jones” scenarios of far away places of ancient cultures who had statues of gold and precious jewels. But I doubt that this is the meaning of this scripture. I think an idol is anything or anyone who takes the place of the Lord in our lives—work, education, entertainment, people, etc.

38 And, in fine, wo unto all those who die in their sins; for they shall return to God, and behold his face, and remain in their sins.
39 O, my beloved brethren, remember the awfulness in transgressing against that Holy God, and also the awfulness of yielding to the enticings of that cunning one. Remember, to be carnally-minded is death, and to be spiritually-minded is life eternal.

We are warned to not procrastinate the day of our repentance; see Alma 34:33-35 (33) And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed. (34) Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world. (35) For behold, if ye have procrastinated the day of your repentance even until death, behold, ye have become subjected to the spirit of the devil, and he doth seal you his; therefore, the Spirit of the Lord hath withdrawn from you, and hath no place in you, and the devil hath all power over you; and this is the final state of the wicked.

40 O, my beloved brethren, give ear to my words. Remember the greatness of the Holy One of Israel. Do not say that I have spoken hard things against you; for if ye do, ye will revile against the truth; for I have spoken the words of your Maker. I know that the words of truth are hard against all uncleanness; but the righteous fear them not, for they love the truth and are not shaken.

I do find that when I am hard-headed and insist on doing things my way then I can be more easily offended and I draw away from Heavenly Father trying to find any loophole to justify my negative behavior. However, when I am trying to live closer to the Spirit although I most likely do things wrong from time to time I am comforted by the Spirit and I know that I am capable of repentance and drawing closer to Heavenly Father.

41 O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name.

Sometimes I think the narrower the choices the easier it is to make a good choice. When I watch the young students trying to narrow down their focus while trying to find a major I see the frustration in their eyes because there are simply too many choices. Isn’t it a blessing that we really only have two choices in mortality—either we follow the Savior or we don’t. It really is just that simple.

42 And whoso knocketh, to him will he open; and the wise, and the learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up because of their learning, and their wisdom, and their riches—yea, they are they whom he despiseth; and save they shall cast these things away, and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open unto them.
43 But the things of the wise and the prudent shall be hid from them forever—yea, that happiness which is prepared for the saints.

Okay, so how can the Lord unconditionally love each of Heavenly Father’s children and “dispise” some at the same time? I think it is the choice of the person, the action, the mind-set that leads a person away from the Savior that is despised, not necessarily the person.

44 O, my beloved brethren, remember my words. Behold, I take off my garments, and I shake them before you; I pray the God of my salvation that he view me with his all-searching eye; wherefore, ye shall know at the last day, when all men shall be judged of their works, that the God of Israel did witness that I shook your iniquities from my soul, and that I stand with brightness before him, and am crid of your blood.

Leaders will be held accountable for their stewardship over another person. But not just leaders, all callings that affect another person is a stewardship that has the associated accountability. As is true of our position in a family, this is possibly the most sacred stewardship—to be trusted with a child of God to teach and to train so that they will desire to know and become like Jesus Christ.

45 O, my beloved brethren, turn away from your sins; shake off the chains of him that would bind you fast; come unto that God who is the rock of your salvation.
46 Prepare your souls for that glorious day when justice shall be administered unto the righteous, even the day of judgment, that ye may not shrink with awful fear; that ye may not remember your awful guilt in perfectness, and be constrained to exclaim: Holy, holy are thy judgments, O Lord God Almighty—but I know my guilt; I transgressed thy law, and my transgressions are mine; and the devil hath obtained me, that I am a prey to his awful misery.

Today is the day of preparation to meet the Savior because yesterday is gone and tomorrow has not yet arrived. A friend of mine said “The Second Coming is when you die.” I thought about that because she is right—we will meet the Savior when we die and it really does not matter if it is when He returns to this earth or if it is when we pass from mortality I really do not want to be ashamed or afraid at that moment. I want to be joyful and filled with His love.

47 But behold, my brethren, is it expedient that I should awake you to an awful reality of these things? Would I harrow up your souls if your minds were pure? Would I be plain unto you according to the plainness of the truth if ye were freed from sin?
48 Behold, if ye were holy I would speak unto you of holiness; but as ye are not holy, and ye look upon me as a teacher, it must needs be expedient that I teach you the consequences of sin.
49 Behold, my soul abhorreth sin, and my heart delighteth in righteousness; and I will praise the holy name of my God.
50 Come, my brethren, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price.
51 Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy. Hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness.

I should make this a plaque and put it where I can see it often to remind me that there is a priority to the way I use the blessings I am given by Heavenly Father. How often I’ve bought something only to forget about it soon after I get it home. That money would have been better used to bless someone’s life than to be wasted. I need to improve so much in this area of my life.

52 Behold, my beloved brethren, remember the words of your God; pray unto him continually by day, and give thanks unto his holy name by night. Let your hearts rejoice.
53 And behold how great the covenants of the Lord, and how great his condescensions unto the children of men; and because of his greatness, and his grace and mercy, he has promised unto us that our seed shall not utterly be destroyed, according to the flesh, but that he would preserve them; and in future generations they shall become a righteous branch unto the house of Israel.
54 And now, my brethren, I would speak unto you more; but on the morrow I will declare unto you the remainder of my words. Amen.